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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28211343">Paradise Bound</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LizzieH1/pseuds/LizzieH1'>LizzieH1</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Peaky Blinders (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, Gina is annoying, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, John/OC Fluff, Non-Canon Plot Lines, Non-Canon Relationship, Ollie gets bullied by Alfie, Slow Burn, Smut</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-11 00:48:33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,481</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28211343</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LizzieH1/pseuds/LizzieH1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ambitious Sarah Gray, daughter of Polly Gray, makes her way to Camden Town in search of an old friend. Upon her arrival she meets a ruthless gangster who changes her life for better or worse.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alfie Solomons/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>52</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Letters</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>
    <em> March 14, 1919 </em>
  </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Dear Ollie,                                                                              </p><p> </p><p>   I am so glad to hear from you again. I’m happy to hear that things seem to be going well for you now. Things around here are as they always are—dull and boring. It is nice to have the boys back but we do not laugh like we used to. It makes me sad.</p><p>   Enough about me though. How are you doing with the new job? Your new boss, the Mr. Solomons, he sounds quite frightening. Do try to stay away from him as much as possible please. I am afraid I do not own any adequate dresses to wear to your potential funeral.</p><p>   Apologies in advance for such a short letter. Sweet little Finn is rushing me out the door as I write this. I promised him I would take him to the store today. I have to admit I regret that promise now. Write back fast, I miss you. I want to hear all about your wonderful new life.</p><p>                                                                                                                                                                                     </p><p>                                                                                                                                                                                         Your friend,</p><p>                                                                                                                                                                                                   Sarah G.</p><p> </p><p>                                                   </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>April 1, 1919</em>
  </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Dear Sarah,                                                                              </p><p> </p><p>   Thank you for the well wishes. I know what you mean about your cousins coming back strange. It seems like everyone who went is not the same. My new boss included. The other workers say he’s always been crazy, but not raving mad like he is now.</p><p>   I am not sure how to say what I want to in this letter without hurting both of us. I am getting married soon. Her name is Rosalie. She is a very kind woman. If you were here in London I know you two would get along just fine. Alas, you are not.</p><p>   Sar, I do not think we should continue writing to each other. You have always been a true friend, but out of respect for my wife I feel this is for the best. I am so sorry. If you ever find yourself needing aid in Camden know that I am here. I do hope we meet again someday. I know that this is very sudden, once again I apologize. I am trying to figure things out to the best of my ability.</p><p>                                                                                                                                                                                       </p><p>                                                                                                                                                                                       All the best,</p><p>                                                                                                                                                                                                 Ollie x</p><p> </p><p>                                                       </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>April 15, 1919</em>
  </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Ollie,</p><p>   Congratulations old friend. I wish you true happiness and prosperity, both of you. So much for our truce of never get married, hey? I am only joking. God knows one of us was bound to break it eventually.</p><p>  I am so happy for you Ollie. I hope we meet again someday as well.</p><p>                                                                                                                                                                                     </p><p>                                                                                                                                                                                     With love,</p><p>                                                                                                                                                                                              Sarah</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Eavesdropping almost always comes in handy when your family is the Shelbys.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <em> <strong>Small Heath, Birmingham 1922</strong> </em>
</p><p> </p><p>   To miss out on a Shelby family meeting would be a great loss. Sarah Gray couldn’t help but be reminded of the great entertainment they provided as Esme preached of raising chickens with John. Her mind wandered to visions of her older cousin clumsily trying to chase chickens around a field. It was quite difficult not to laugh. As much as Sarah wanted to laugh at Esme’s speech, she actually agreed with her. They had all been called to the betting shop to discuss Thomas’ plans for expanding the company. It wasn’t that Sarah entirely disagreed with the idea of expanding, she just felt as though things were moving too quickly. She could see the wear of stress appearing more prominently on her mothers face by the day.</p><p> </p><p>   This wasn’t to say that Polly and herself did not benefit from the Shelby Company Limited’s success. The past two years had arguably been the best of their lives. With the war long gone and plenty of money in the bank, on paper one could argue they had nothing to worry about. This is what frightened Sarah. She could not understand how or why Thomas would want to expand and potentially create new enemies. She actually debated chiming in and agreeing with Esme, but one glance from Pol told her that would not be a good idea. The look on Tommy’s face as Esme spoke was cool and collected, but Sarah knew him better than that. It was obvious he was annoyed with Esme, and when she finally ended her rant he was quick to shut her down. She didn’t believe him when he told everyone that nothing would change. Many great advantages to the business had fallen into their hands by sheer luck. Expansion of the business meant more danger and it was apparent that everyone in the room knew that.</p><p> </p><p>   She also knew that Tommy listened to no one. Sure, he’d ask others to chime in if they had any ideas, but if they opposed his it wasn’t likely he’d change his mind. Shortly before the meeting came to a halt Tommy asked if anyone who is not on board would like to leave. Not a single person rose from their seat, not even Esme. That was the power that Tommy had over his family. Although many souls in the room disagreed with his plans, not one was brave enough to go against them. He truly spoke and acted on behalf of the entire family—this was something that varied between being good or bad.</p><p> </p><hr/><p>   </p><p>   The betting shop was quiet at night. After everyone else had gone home Sarah decided to stick around and catch up on some reading in the tranquil environment that was John’s office. Finn had been listening to loud records at home and she didn’t have the mind to argue with him tonight. Generally speaking she didn’t mind sharing a home with her little cousin and mother, but nights like tonight she’d rather catch some time alone. She hadn’t planned on being interrupted by the sound of Polly and Thomas’ voices. They were speaking in hushed whispers to begin with but as the conversation progressed their volume grew louder. It was obvious they had no idea Sarah had remained there. Carefully setting her book down so not to make any loud noises, she peered through the glass pane facing the safe room. There sat Pol at the desk looking disturbed as Tommy shouted at her for the safe code.</p><p>“Give me the combination Polly”</p><p>“So what, you’re just going to roll into London and take over the city?”</p><p>“The Jews and Italians have been at war for months.”</p><p>“Well it’s not our war”</p><p>“The Jews are in need of allies. No one gets killed Polly. We go down tomorrow when it’s quiet and leave our message. If Alfie Solomons and his Camden boys come to us, we’ll negotiate the use of a secure bonded warehouse. Now, please open the fucking safe”</p><p>Sarah slunk back behind the desk where she was out of sight from the rest of the betting shop. Alfie Solomons. That name sounded so familiar, but why? Where had she heard that name before? She had no time to figure it out here. She knew she had to get out of the shop before Polly or Thomas knew she’d been eavesdropping. Carefully sprinting towards the sliding doors she slipped her way through to the other side and immediately dashed up to her room. She couldn’t figure out why the name Solomons rang such a bell in her head.</p><p>“Thought Pol said we weren’t ‘sposed to hang out in there after dark anymore”</p><p>Fuck. She forgot about that. They’d been banned from entering the shop after hours. Polly had caught her and Finn stealing from Arthur’s desk in the dead of the night. Thats where he kept his work whisky.</p><p>“Yeah, you are. Not me”</p><p>“That's not what aunt Pol said Sar. She said both of us can’t”</p><p>“No”</p><p>“Yes”</p><p>“No”</p><p>“Yes”</p><p>“Finn, I'm 24 years old I can do whatever I want. Get to bed”</p><p>“I’m almost 13 I don’t go to bed when told anymore”</p><p>“Whatever” Sarah kept walking towards her room in hopes that her cousin wouldn’t immediately run to tell Pol. She felt ridiculous still caring at her age, but Polly had been extremely angry and it sent Arthur over the edge when he had no way to drink at work. After all she did let an 11 year old get plastered on hard liquor. It wasn’t one of her proudest moments, that was for sure. Sarah was obviously free to do whatever she pleased whenever, but her mother had given her one rule and while she still lives under her roof it only felt right to abide by it. Even if she felt 8 years old being banned from the betting shop at night.</p><p>   </p><p>   But that didn’t matter right now. She had to figure out how she knew of this man before her cousins left for London tomorrow. She figured she could possibly be of some use to them if she could just remember. All she knew was when she thought of the mysterious name a boy she used to know appeared in her mind. She hadn’t thought of him in awhile because it only hurt when she did. Ollie and her had met in high school when a mutual friend introduced the two of them to each other. He was a year younger than her, but they eventually came to be great friends. That all felt so long ago now and Sarah couldn’t help but let out a long sigh as a melancholy feeling rose in her chest. She missed his letters. They used to bring her so much joy during the war when nothing else could do the trick. <em>His </em> <em> letters </em>. That was it, she had to find them. She knew she’d stashed them away in her bottom dresser drawer and quickly went to search. She found them of course, there had to be at least 200 letters bundled together. For her to remember that name though—it had to be one of the last letters he sent. One of the ones before she’d been expected to just forget about their several years of friendship. Sure enough there it was, in his second last. The infamous scary and overall crabby boss that Ollie had described—Mr. Solomons. And in Camden Town too, there was no way this was a coincidence. Sarah returned the letters to their bundle and shoved them back into the drawer. Half tempted to retrieve the bundle again and read all of his letters, she knew it would only cause her pain so she locked it up.</p><p> </p><p>    The unfortunate truth was that aside from family Ollie was the only real friend she’d ever had. There were other girls in school of course. They were kind enough but none stuck around long because her older cousins always frightened them away. The Gray name was so associated with Shelby in Small Heath that she might as well claim it herself. Sarah Gray or Sarah Shelby—it made no difference. Locals knew her face as Tommy’s little cousin and that was enough since middle school to make her stick out like a sore thumb. These days she was so used to only speaking to family that it didn't seem to make a difference anymore. But she remembered high school and shortly after. How tough it was never being able to find a partner in class, or much less get a boyfriend. She’d only ever dated one boy in her eleventh year of school. He had treated her so poorly that Arthur showed up to the school one morning to give him a piece of his mind. After that of course no boys wanted to get even remotely close to her. She’d always secretly hoped that Ollie, the only one to never be frightened of them, would want to get close to her. But she had been wrong. He was married now, and had been for over 2 years. She couldn’t help but wonder if he had children by now. He seemed the type to start a large family and be content to play the role of loving father. Perhaps that was what drew her to him considering the fact that she had lost her own father so young.</p><p>   </p><p>   Now that she knew the correlation between that name and her old friend she couldn’t help but hope that this Mr. Solomons would indeed reach out to Tommy. If that were the case she was confident she could come up with an adequate excuse to join her cousins in meeting up with him eventually. Maybe she would bump into Ollie. Maybe he wouldn’t be married anymore. Well the latter was unlikely, but a girl could certainly hope. For now though she figured it best not to say a word to anyone about this. The last thing she wanted was Polly finding out and spreading the word to everyone in the family. Sarah was admittedly lonely and wanted this one thing to look forward to. If everything went in her favour perhaps she could find a way to rekindle her lost friendship.</p><p> </p><hr/><p>   </p><p>   Polly cried uncontrollably for the first 5 minutes they spent visiting Tommy in the hospital. He swore it looked much worse than what he felt, but it was obvious he was lying. The doctors told everyone he’d be bed ridden in the room for at least 6 weeks, but when Sarah saw him 3 days later speaking to Charlie by the docks she wasn’t the least bit surprised. She decided the best move was to eavesdrop behind the surrounding barrels before directly budding in. Her instincts told her he was going to leave for Camden today, and she’d be damned if he left without her.</p><p>“Can you spare Curly for a few days?”</p><p>“What for?”</p><p>“I’ll need a boat and someone to steer it. I need to get to London as soon as possible.”</p><p>“Sure thing, good luck with this one” he looked towards Curly who was seemingly happy to chauffeur an injured Thomas to London. This was her chance and she was not going to let it go to waste. She stepped forth from behind the barrels in a nonchalant way to ensure no one would know she'd been hidden behind them for the past two minutes.</p><p>“Hello gentleman”</p><p>Charlie and Curly nodded to the young woman and continued loading the boat with various crates. Thomas just looked at her. He wasn’t stupid enough to think that she wasn’t up to something. He knew his little cousin didn’t often hang out by the docks for leisure.</p><p>“Sarah”</p><p>“I couldn’t help but hear the end of that conversation you were just having. You're travelling to London in such a sorry state. It seems like a very poor decision to me-“</p><p>“I’m going”</p><p>“Well yes I can see that you are, and I am joining you”</p><p>“No”</p><p>“Why not?”</p><p>“Because Pol will have my head on a pike if I ship you off to London with no notice. It’s dangerous business not fit for a lady”</p><p>Sarah chuckled “That’s funny. I recall you saying Shelby Company views women as being equal to men. And you’ll be needing another set of hands on deck with you being so hurt. It would be a real shame for Curly to have to manage everything on his own”</p><p>   </p><p>   Tommy took a drag of his cigarette knowing she was partly right. It was selfish of him to take advantage of Curlys willingness to help him out by forcing him to take on all the work. But Sarah? Really? She would be such a liability once he arrived. She was clueless when it came to self defence and was overly compassionate to the wrong sorts of people. He’d seen it first hand when she gave several shillings to a homeless beggar who was obviously not homeless at all. He knew he had a choice. It was either face the wrath of Polly later or face the annoyance that was Sarah now.</p><p>He let out a sigh “Go get your things. We’re leaving in an hour. Don’t let Pol see you.”</p><p>“Yes sir” She wanted to jump up and down with excitement but knew that would hardly be appropriate right now. Instead she rushed straight home to pack her bag for London. She was going to see him there, she just knew it.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter of this fic! I plan on updating it weekly because I have so many great ideas for Sarah's story. Don't hesitate to let me know your initial thoughts. Until my next update, happy holidays everyone!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Things do not go as expected in London, and Sarah ponders what her next step will be.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>   The journey to London went by quicker than she had expected it to. Sarah had always found Curly to be excellent company, and Tommy slept most of the way which meant he wasn’t able to be a pain in her side. On day three of the four day trip she realized she actually had no plan as to what she was going to do. If she was being honest she really had nothing to say to Ollie. Well, nothing she could say if he’s still happily married. The best plan seemed to be to just show up and let things happen naturally. How intimidating this was going to be. Sarah was so wrapped up in fretting over how to approach Ollie that she’d almost forgotten a large problem: Tommy. He was going to be so frustrating to deal with once they docked, wanting only to do business then leave immediately after. That would be such a drag. They were going to be in London. There’s no way they’d leave it behind to go back to the trench they called home, Small Heath, right away. And what if Ollie feels the same way? What if he misses her too? Thomas was going to completely ruin this for her, she had that feeling. Perhaps he’d be so engulfed in his conversation with Mr. Solomons that he’d leave her be.</p>
<p>“We’re here Ms. Gray, shall I wake Tommy?”</p>
<p>“No need Curly, I’m awake” Before she could provide him an answer Tommy stepped forth to the front of the boat where Sarah was sitting on a rusted barrell.</p>
<p>“So Sarah, what exactly are you going to be doing while I visit Alfie Solomons?”</p>
<p>She knew he’d want to get rid of her for a few hours while he went to do business alone. It would probably be embarrassing for him to have to lug her along, but who cares.</p>
<p>“I’m coming with you”</p>
<p>   Tommy reached into his coat pocket and sparked a match, lighting a cigarette he made eye contact with her “I let you come along to London, I’m not letting you come to my meeting too”</p>
<p>“Well what else do you want me to do Tom? I don’t know of any places to go in Camden”</p>
<p>Once again he knew she was right. Unfortunately.</p>
<p>“Don’t say a word unless it’s me speaking to you. Stick by my side at all times”</p>
<p>   Sarah burst out laughing. Tommy loved to go full father mode when she went places with him. It was quite endearing sometimes but also frustrating. It was even worse with Arthur.</p>
<p>“I’m an adult woman, you know. I can care for myself”</p>
<p>“Pol will try to kill me if anything happens to you”</p>
<p>“Like you’d let her succeed”</p>
<p>Tommy just smiled, putting out his cigarette as Curly steered the boat into the docks.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>“A bakery. Your business in Camden town is pastries, Tom?”</p>
<p>   Sarah broke out into a grin. Since when did Ollie know how to bake? He never mentioned what he actually did at his new job. The thought of him kneading bread dough all day was hilarious.</p>
<p>“Not quite” Tommy shook his head slightly and made for the front doors. Confused and stifling a laugh Sarah followed behind him closely.</p>
<p>   The first thing she noticed when stepping foot inside was the overpowering smell of fresh bread and alcohol. It was so potent that it did not take long to cause a stinging sensation in her nostrils. Looking towards Tommy, she could immediately tell he was expecting this. The front of the building appeared like a normal bakery, but upon further inspection it was safe enough to assume this was not the whole business. She knew that scent too well, as her and John had indulged in rum one too many times this past month. Before she had a chance to comment on the smell, he was stood there in front of her. The thing about Ollie was he never changed. In fact he looked the exact same as he did in the eleventh grade, just with very minor alterations. And he was actually wearing his Kippah. Sarah couldn’t help but remember how much he used to despise the idea of wearing it. His poor mother would get so flustered trying to explain the importance to him. That felt like centuries ago right now.</p>
<p>   Suddenly he couldn’t move. His legs felt like jelly beneath his weight and his heart beat faster in his chest. Unsure of whether he should run and hug her or tell her to leave, all he could muster up was a simple “Hello Sarah”. It was all just too much right now.</p>
<p>   She couldn’t help but let out a small gasp for air in an effort to not tear up. He was here and so was she. Too nervous to embarrass him or herself she simply responded with “Hello Ollie”</p>
<p>   Tommy hadn’t the slightest clue what was going on here. How did his cousin know this guy and how could he possibly know her? God knows she never leaves the house. Deciding it best to shrug this awkward encounter off for now, Tommy cleared his throat “Right. We’re here to see Mr. Solomons.”</p>
<p>   Ollie was engulfed in her and was unable to grasp what Thomas had just said. Her blonde hair was short now, falling just below her chin in soft curls. Her dark brown eyes radiant as ever. He remembered how they would light up whenever she smiled, and especially when she’d laugh. He missed making her laugh, as he had always felt he was quite good at it. It had been over three years since he had last seen her, and yet she’d only grown more beautiful in that time. She was still the same old Sarah, but they were both adults and he was positive she had outdone him as far as getting better looking goes.</p>
<p>Tommy glanced back and forth between his cousin and this stranger. He wanted to feel annoyed, but it was just getting more awkward with every second that passed. </p>
<p>“Okay. If you’re not going to take my weapons I think we’ll just step by you and find him ourselves”</p>
<p>   Ollie snapped out of his trance and frantically shook his head. “Uh sorry To- I mean Mr. Shelby. I’ll just quickly make sure you’re good to go back there” he approached Tommy carefully and began to pat down his legs in search of any concealed weapons. The room was overtaken by a terrible silence, and Sarah couldn’t bare it.</p>
<p>“I am certainly glad to see you again Ollie”</p>
<p>But before he had a chance to respond a booming voice came from down the hall leading to the back of the bakery.</p>
<p>“Put him down Ollie, he’s only little”</p>
<p>   Before he even came into view she disliked him. Was it really necessary to call Tommy little? I mean, they hadn’t even formally met yet. It just seemed rather rude to her. And then she saw him, and her first thought was that he was absolutely nothing like she had expected. With a slight limp he entered the room and took in the scene before him.</p>
<p>“Ollie do you always eye up women you’ve just met like that, mate.” The first thing Alfie noticed when he entered the room was how his assistant was staring at the the woman standing next to Tommy. He’d heard the rumours that Thomas Shelby was seeing a blonde barmaid from the Garrison. The last thing he wanted was Ollie fucking up his business meeting by being a creep. He had to say something because there wasn’t a chance Thomas didn’t see him watching her.</p>
<p>Ollie just shook his head no</p>
<p>“Good, now fuck off.”</p>
<p>   The loud bear of a man introduced himself as Alfie Solomons and led Sarah and Tommy into the back of the “bakery”. He had an office kept in the far corner of the building amongst all of the rum barrels. They poured into the small space to conduct the meeting.</p>
<p>   As Thomas and Alfie spoke Sarah couldn’t help but notice the many rings on his fingers. Though he had several, none looked like wedding rings. The question of whether or not he was married crossed her mind. He was not old enough to be widowed, but he wasn’t exactly young anymore. She pondered the many explanations as to why he may or may not be. She couldn’t deny the fact that upon closer observation he was really quite handsome. His eyes intrigued her. For being such a brute he had very wise eyes. As Tommy spoke he looked at him as if he already knew what he was going to say next. He had intelligent eyes, yes, but they were not unkind. It was strange, when he looked at her from time to time during the conversation she'd silently hope he wouldnt look away. His facial hair suited him, she thought. Not just looks wise but personality wise too. A few minutes into the meeting Sarah decided that she liked looking at Mr. Solomons.  </p>
<p>   And then she remembered his remarks earlier. He was so brash and cocky. That was it. Why would any woman want to put up with an ego like that of Alfie Solomons? They wouldn’t. It was no wonder he was unwedded. She also couldn’t figure out why she cared if this man was married or not. She was wasting precious time here thinking of him and not his assistant, or whatever Ollie was to him.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>   Many excuses to leave the office and go find Ollie popped up in her head but they’d all come across as suspicious. The last thing she wanted was to <em> actually </em>sabotage Tommy’s business here. The feelings of anxiety began to set in. Wondering where Ollie could have gone when Alfie led them back here, she turned her head both directions to look out of the glass panels encasing the office. She couldn’t see him anywhere, he must have gone elsewhere. What if he left because he didn't want to see her. She started to question if this had all been a mistake. That would be so unfortunate. Thomas was speaking louder but his words meant nothing to her as she began to internally panic. Alfie noticed this almost immediately. He’d always had a knack for knowing when someone was uncomfortable in his presence. </p>
<p>“Sarah” Tommy said once more, louder this time. She’d often go into her own mind and ignore her surroundings entirely. This was nothing new to him. John used to joke she’s got a full time job in there.</p>
<p>Finally she snapped out of it “Yes?”</p>
<p>“Mr. Solomons asked if that man out there made you uncomfortable”</p>
<p>Alfie just stared at her as Tommy spoke. She was beautiful, there was absolutely no denying that. Tommy was a lucky man indeed.</p>
<p>“Oh no. No not at all. We know each other, it’s quite alright. Thank you for your concern Mr. Solomons”</p>
<p>Alfie let a thin smile appear on his face.</p>
<p>“Right. Call me Alfie, both of you”</p>
<p>   As he walked them out of the bakery, Alfie couldn’t help but wonder how the hell Ollie ever met her. As far as he knew the boy had grown up here in Camden Town and started working for him when he was just 20. Instead of letting it bother him all day he decided he’d just ask. It’s not like Ollie was going to deny him information.</p>
<p>   Ollie knew as soon as he got busted staring he’d hear Alfie call for him later. He was dreading it actually. Making his way into the office he decided it best to act as if he had no idea why he was called on.</p>
<p>“How’d you know that blonde?”</p>
<p>“Sarah?”</p>
<p>“Nah, the queen of fucking England. Yes, Sarah. Where’d you meet?”</p>
<p>“Oh uh school. We met through a friend in year eleven I think”</p>
<p>“You think. That’s real fucking helpful, right. If you ever see her in here again I don’t want to see you in the same room as her, yeah? Last thing I need is Tommy fucking Shelby throwing a fit cause my workers on his woman”</p>
<p>Ollie nervously laughed “That’s not his woman Alfie. She’s a cousin. Her mum is Polly Gray, Tommy’s aunt. Well, she’s not her real mum but she’s as good as-“</p>
<p>Alfie cut him off “Good now get the fuck out of my office”</p>
<p>   Part of him was content knowing she was not the blonde Tommy was seeing. Not only because then he’d have to worry about Ollie ruining his deal, but because she seemed kind. A kind woman had no place in this business. No, this was work for the ruthless and cold. From the little she spoke he could tell that was not her style.</p>
<p>Before Ollie could shut the door Alfie had to ask, purely out of curiosity.</p>
<p>“Did you ever fuck her?”</p>
<p>   Ollie froze in his place. He wasn’t sure what answer his boss wanted. However, he knew better than to lie. The truth was that he hadn’t. They didn't actually get to see each other often. It was quite rare. They mostly just wrote to each other. They hadn’t even kissed.</p>
<p>“Uh no. No I didn’t”</p>
<p>   Alfie didn’t bother answering him. He knew the answer was going to be no just by looking at her and then looking at Ollie. Sometimes he felt bad for being so harsh towards Ollie, but the kid just made it so easy. He was always so damn nervous for no reason. There was not a chance in hell he could ever hold any power in the bakery. Until he grew more of a backbone he was not going to gain any of Alfies respect.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>   Just as she’d predicted the second they left the bakery Tommy was dragging her to a car to return to London. Curly had taken the boat to drop off the cargo and wouldn’t be returning for awhile.</p>
<p>“We’re leaving Sar. Nothing here for us now.”</p>
<p>“I would only be a few hours car ride away Tommy. Please just let me stay for a few days. I've really taken quite a liking to it here.”</p>
<p>Tommy looked around him to see well worn streets and workers slaving over the docks. Sure, it was nicer than Small Heath--but not by much.</p>
<p>“Who was that man in there?”</p>
<p>Sarah looked down at the ground and kicked at a pebble with her heel.</p>
<p>“Remember my friend Ollie that I wrote to. Arthur always teased I’d marry him if only I’d convert”</p>
<p>“Ah I see”</p>
<p>   He just looked at her for a moment. Tommy was not usually sympathetic towards romantic pursuits, but part of him felt bad for her. She was 24 years old and her only experience in a relationship was miserable. He could still remember when Sarah had come home crying because her boyfriend got her drunk and took advantage of her. It still made him angry just thinking about it. She had been so young. Hell, she was still young. It would be difficult to deny her this opportunity when he knew there really weren't any men in Small Heath that interested her.</p>
<p>“Two days Sar. I can’t give you more than that. I'm not sure what I’ll tell Pol”</p>
<p>“My mother will be fine”</p>
<p>“She worries about you”</p>
<p>“All she worries about lately is Michael and Anna. I hardly doubt she’ll notice me gone. Besides, if she does track them down I don’t care to be around.”</p>
<p>Tommy pulled out a cigarette and lit it</p>
<p>“They’re your siblings too you know-”</p>
<p>Sarah cut him off “Only by our father, and he is dead. Trust me Tom, Polly may have raised me but once they’re back it doesn’t mean anything. I'm not blood.”</p>
<p>Tommy just smiled at her “Blood don't mean anything in that regard, Sar. Best of luck with your friend there.”</p>
<p>He gently patted her arm and walked off towards the waiting car.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>   The room she’d decided on was modest to say the least. It was certainly not anything special, made up of one decent sized bed, a small kitchen, and a bathroom. It was all she needed considering Sarah did not plan on staying in London for more than a few days. Sitting on the end of the bed she quickly realized how poorly she had planned this out. In fact there was no plan whatsoever, she had absolutely no idea what to do next. From the time she was a small child she had gotten so used to her ideas being shut down by her family that she’d essentially stopped planning things all together. That way no one would be able to tell her no or call her daft. It wasn’t that her family were mean to her or abusive in any way, but they never saw her as being able to defend herself like they could. If she ever found herself in a tense situation she would much rather talk through it as opposed to fighting. Choosing the careful compassionate route in conflicts meant a lot to her, and this was something her cousins could never understand. She was never one for angry outbursts, but this didn’t mean she wasn’t passionate in pursuing her interests. Afterall she had come all this way to find a man she wasn’t sure she knew at all anymore. Pondering that fact now, she questioned if maybe she was being rather dumb. Well it was too late now.</p>
<p>   One thing that was planned however, was finding Ollie. So far this was not working out as hoped. As soon as she unpacked her things into the armoire provided, she slipped on her burgundy coat and made her way out the door to get some food. She was starving. Tommy was the absolute worst to travel with because he never wanted to stop once you got into the car. If you tell him you’re hungry or have to pee he’ll simply say “too bad”. He isn't going to stop the car until it needs fuel or you’ve reached your destination. This always drove Sarah insane but she wasn’t about to argue with him, so by the time they reached the bakery her stomach was making all kinds of noises due to hunger.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>   It was liberating being on her own here. In Small Heath there was a blinder around every corner, always watching her every move. It made it so difficult to feel like a grown and independent woman. She tried to reminisce upon the last time she really felt like herself as she spun the small spoon around her cup of tea, water and sugar colliding at her fingertips. It was not easy though, as nothing in her life ever felt simple. She was always so sure that she wanted a simple life, but thus far it hadn't been that way at all. So how on Earth could she possibly know what she wants. She knew nothing of simplicity and was painfully aware of this fact. An elated couple sat at the table to her left. She watched as they exchanged playful glances with one another. The man would make the woman laugh with a silly quip, and she would playfully tap his arm in response. They must have repeated this process five times. Without being able to pinpoint exactly why, watching them interact made her furious. It was not an anger born from jealousy or envy. No, she did not wish to be like that woman in any way. What angered her was the thought of Ollie and Rosalie acting as that couple did. She imagined him telling her cheap jokes as she laughed and laughed, so not to bruise his fragile man ego. The Ollie she knew would have made fun of that couple with her. They’d call them boring and plain, and compare them to the elderly who seem to love cafe dates for some reason unknown to her.</p>
<p>   She took a sip of her tea and smiled slightly to herself. Going back to see him as soon as possible felt like the best option, as anxiety inducing as it may be. It was difficult for Sarah to look at her own situation and see how naive she was being. How irrational this whole trip has been, and how unlikely it is that he will want to speak with her. She was lonely and wanted consolation from anyone that wasn't family. In her optimistic mind however, she believed that tomorrow morning they would talk about anything and everything.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I wanted to post this earlier but I got busy with Christmas stuff, so I apologize! Has anyone else’s family been driving them crazy over the holiday season? I’m back home from college and mine are driving me insane lol.</p>
<p>   Also if anyone is curious—my head-canon for how Sarah looks is heavily based on Michelle Williams in My Week with Marilyn. She is one of my favourite actresses and I think she looks stunning in that film. Plus her and Tom worked on Venom together so they have pics together which is wholesome.</p>
<p>   Anyway I hope you all are doing well and staying safe &lt;3 The next chapter will be up soon and I promise there is more Alfie in it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Perhaps Alfie isn't the terrible brute he comes across as.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>   Alfie’s office was relatively quiet in the morning. He’d always arrive earlier than everyone else to unlock the doors, and he quite enjoyed the peace and quiet it allowed him. Surprisingly enough he was a fairly meticulous person. He despised the idea of being disorganized, especially when it came to his business. Having a few hours of the day to himself to work in peace had aided him in his work many times. Once the rest of his workers pooled in he found himself irritated more and more by the hour. Someone always needed something. He’d lost track of how many times he’d lose his temper in a day. Being by himself generally provided him with a tranquil work setting. This morning however, it was quite noisy outside his office. At first he tried to ignore the conversation he couldn't help overhearing, but it was becoming more heated by the second. Once he recognized a woman's voice his annoyed curiosity got the best of him and he exited the office.</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>   Ollie was exhausted. He had been up all night panicking over this whole situation. Certain Sarah would return soon enough, he wanted to know exactly what he was going to say to her. He tried to create a mental script to recite to her, but found it too difficult. It was frustrating because he was the one to push her away in the first place, and here she was trying to get him back. He would be lying to himself if he said he didn't miss her now and then. She was a very easy woman to like. The truth was that marriage was not all it was cracked up to be for him. He loved Rosalie but their relationship was far from perfect. Maybe it was because he was always working, or maybe it was because their pairing was somewhat arranged. He honestly did not care enough to put in the effort to figure it out. However, he was certain that Sarah was not the answer to his domestic troubles. As much as he respected her he was not in love with her. Perhaps at some point his feelings towards her crossed that line, but any trace of that had since disappeared. He hardly knew her anymore.</p>
<p>   When she arrived 10 minutes into his shift he ushered her to the back of the bakery amongst the rum barrels. Not many men had arrived to work yet and Alfie was in his office, it wasn’t entirely private but it was the best he could give her right now. Their conversation started off alright.</p>
<p>“I miss you Ollie, that's all. I know I shouldn’t have come”</p>
<p>He sighed “I miss you too but this all feels wrong”</p>
<p>“You are still married”</p>
<p>“Well yes, why wouldn’t I be?”</p>
<p>   She thought for a moment. There was never anything that pointed towards him being divorced now. Why did she think that was a possibility? It was foolish. It angered him that she would come to such a conclusion. As if he were unable to possess a healthy relationship.</p>
<p>“I don’t know”</p>
<p>“I don’t think you even know why you are here Sarah”</p>
<p>“That isn’t true”</p>
<p>Ollie looked down at his apron then back at her face.</p>
<p>“Okay. Tell me exactly what you hoped to achieve by coming here. What do you want?”</p>
<p>She felt her heart sink lower in her chest.</p>
<p>“Well I-” She needed a moment to think. Her mind felt like it was going fuzzy. It quickly became difficult for her to critically think about her predicament. He was getting flustered now. Afterall, he was at work and she had the nerve to start all this.</p>
<p>“You what?”</p>
<p>She was silent as his voice grew louder with anger.</p>
<p>   Alfie was standing just outside his office, now slightly unsure if it was a good idea to enter this conversation. Not that he gave a fuck about interupting Ollie, but he had never heard him raise his voice before. Something about it was slightly amusing, but he felt a tinge of sympathy for the woman on the receiving end of his outburst. A few more seconds he told himself, then he would end this argument by making himself into the villain.</p>
<p>   It was becoming difficult for her to not cry, and Sarah was certainly not the type of woman to cry easily. She lifted her chin upwards and stared at the ceiling for a moment as Ollie paced back and forth in front of her, repeating his initial inquiry as to why she was there. She watched him for a moment. She felt terrible for causing all of this, and for what.</p>
<p>“Hell, I have no idea.” She let out a small laugh in an attempt to cover up her embarrassment. It was the truth.</p>
<p>Ollie stopped in his tracks to look at her, or the figure approaching behind her. This is just great, he thought.</p>
<p>   Alfie decided to take the calm route this morning, by simply telling Ollie to “get back to fucking work”. He then lead Sarah into his office, shutting the door behind them. One could easily draft together a list of the many poor qualities that Alfie possessed, but he was consistently kind to the opposite sex. He gained nothing from treating women poorly and frequently looked down upon men that did. Of course he did not know anything about Sarah, besides her being Tommy Shelby's cousin, but he felt inclined to provide her with some sort of aid before sending her out onto the streets of London. His mother did not raise him to abandon obviously distraught women.</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>   She sat across from him in the same spot she had yesterday, and looked down at her navy dress. The skirt fell to just above her knees, with its upper lace layer reaching just below them. It was a birthday gift from Polly and she always felt her most confident with it on. After all, whenever she wore it to the Garrison she was sure to receive many compliments. Alfie stared at her for a moment unsure of what to say. Of course this did not happen to him often, if ever. He was always confident in knowing what to say or not say, but this was such a peculiar situation. The last thing he felt like talking or thinking about was his assistants love life. He couldn’t help but notice the way her dress hugged the curves of her body. Knowing it was wildly inappropriate to be having such thoughts considering the circumstances, he couldn’t bring himself to care. She was absolutely beautiful, and when her eyes finally found him he was taken slightly off guard.</p>
<p>“You don’t look like a Shelby”</p>
<p>Sarah was taken aback momentarily, shocked that's how he chose to start a conversation after all he’d just witnessed.</p>
<p>“I suppose that's because I am not a Shelby''</p>
<p>“Right”</p>
<p>   When she was in his presence she felt nervous and for the life of her could not figure out why. Sure he was a ruthless gangster and all that, but so were her cousins and they did not provoke her this way. The room felt strange. It was too quiet. She hated awkwards silences more than anything. Especially when they occurred while she was sober.</p>
<p>“I know you have whisky in that drawer. May I have some?”</p>
<p>Alfie looked at her and let a small smile appear on his face.</p>
<p>“And why should I share the good stuff with you, hm?”</p>
<p>“Just hand the bottle over or I will grab it myself.”</p>
<p>“Love to see you try that sometime” he reached into his desk drawer and pulled out the bottle, pouring her a glass.</p>
<p>   It didn’t take her long to open up to him. He was careful to avoid the topics of her family and Ollie. Probably more for himself than for her. When she spoke he listened to her. Not just because he felt inclined to, but because he wanted to. She was an interesting woman and was quite successful in making him laugh, which he liked to think was rare. Alfie felt intrigued by her experiences, and was shocked to learn they shared many opinions on things. They talked about everything that crossed each other's minds. By the time Sarah was on her way out the door it was just past noon.</p>
<p>   Alfie walked with her to the front of the bakery where he’d arranged for his driver Ishmael to take her back to her hotel. They stood outside the doors as Sarah silently contemplated how best to thank him for keeping her entertained all morning. She’d had far more than her fair share to drink and didn't want to embarrass herself now. She looked up at him and smiled, her face beat red from the alcohol. It was windy out, and her hair was blowing all over the place. Directly in her face included.</p>
<p>“Thank you for everything, Alfie. I really needed that after the whole ordeal this morning”<br/>
He smiled back at her. “S’alright, love. No need to thank me”</p>
<p>She looked towards the ground and then back up at him. “Well I suppose I’ll see you again sometime. I hope so anyway”</p>
<p>   Suddenly he felt young again, <em> very </em> young. He wanted to kiss her but knew it was a terrible idea. It was frustrating for him because all of the women he’d been with over the past few years were only with him for physical or material pleasure. If any of them seeked a deeper relationship he would break it off immediately. Alfie had never gone out of his way to fall in love. The way he looked at it, no woman could do wrong enough to deserve loving him. With his choice of career he’d always convinced himself that he would inevitably hurt them. Also, he just hadn’t met anyone who he yearned to know on a deeper level. Sarah was the first woman since before the war that he’d actually sat down with and had an engaging conversation. It made him uncomfortable how quickly she’d made her way onto his good side. He bid her farewell and felt ashamed of how sad he was to see her drive off.</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>   Small Heath was not exactly an exciting place to return to, but it was home nonetheless. After her conversation with Alfie she felt it unwise to rush home. It made no sense when she could spend her one remaining day running errands in London before Tommy came calling after her. It was actually a marvelous time getting things done by herself in the city. She’d even met up with Ada and Karl for tea, who she had officially decided were far more boring company than Mr. Solomons. The one person she did find herself missing while away was John. The two were relatively close in age and whenever they got together it was bound to be a good time. Speaking to John never felt like speaking to an authoritative figure as it so often did with Tommy and Arthur. Of course Tommy had told him everything, and upon her return she was flooded with questions about her being away.</p>
<p>“So, how’d it go then?” John looked at her with wonder in his eyes.</p>
<p>“It went fine” As if she were going to tell this lot the truth. She hadn’t planned on speaking to her family about any of her business in London, but Tom had ruined that for her.</p>
<p>“So you’re together then” shouted Arthur from across the room. He must’ve been listening to their conversation; bored out of his mind from the card game he was currently playing with Finn. </p>
<p>“Oh please. He is married, Arthur.”</p>
<p>   He just looked at her confused. Likely wondering why she went in the first place if she knew he was wed. She didn't care though. She honestly just wanted to get him off her case. Arthur and Sarah did not have the closest relationship. It was common for him to try and take a sort of responsibilty for her and it drove her crazy. Though she felt that almost her entire family underestimated her, he was definitely the worst. Of course she still loved him like an older brother, but it was complicated at times.</p>
<p>“Glad you had a good time Sarah, that’s what matters aye” John smiled at her.</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>   Last night it was easy for her to fall asleep without thinking about everything that went down at the bakery. The whole day was spent running around or gossiping with Ada, and by the time she’d returned to her hotel room she was too exhausted to think about her circumstances. Being back home now, a cocktail of emotions all washed over her at once. On one hand she was incredibly embarrassed by the way she approached Ollie, and on the other was elated that she had formed a sort of friendship with Alfie. If it weren’t for their hitting it off that afternoon she’d likely regret the entire trip. Reflecting upon her and Ollie's rather heated conversation she came to accept the fact that perhaps all she needed was definite closure, of which could only be achieved in person. Sure she missed their friendship, but if it were really that heartbreaking to not have him, would 3 whiskys and conversation with a smuggler really have been enough to cheer her up? That seemed unlikely. Her mind drifted back to Alfie and the way he’d laugh at her poor jokes. He was a difficult man to analyze. A part of him was obviously cold and ruthless, she’d seen it in the way he spoke to Tommy and Ollie. However, when he spoke to her he presented himself as witty and kind. It had been far too long since she’d hit it off with a man like she did with him that afternoon. She closed her eyes and was reminded of how he looked at her when she sat in front of him. There was a sort of lust in his gaze and she couldn't help but smile to herself recalling it now. Not wanting to overthink anything, she drifted off to sleep.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you all for the wonderful comments and kudos on this story! I've had 90% of this chapter written for weeks but unfortunately my life got quite busy. Anyway, things have calmed down and I should be back to posting routinely &lt;3 I'm currently rewatching Peaky Blinders and season two is still my favourite. Something about it is just so comforting to me. Must be the introduction of Alfie lol.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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